VFRESHERS

It’s good to give a head-start to your career as a Pilot from an established training institute, popularly known as Flight School or Flight Club. Pilot being an enviable career option, demands much more skills than you can think of.

The life of a pilot is full of adventure and chance. One is required to be of sound body and mind, with an obligation towards precision & vigilance and a science background. And this is just one portion of the prerequisite; the other necessities are education, age, good eye sight and physique. And most importantly, the knowledge and skill to clear the entrance and practical exams.

The gradation upwardly, in this line of course, is as follows:

• Student Pilot License (SPL)

• Private Pilot License (PPL)

• Commercial Pilot License (CPL)

• Helicopter Pilot License (HPL)

All the above mentioned steps require from you different criterions namely, qualification, flying hours, clearance and medical tests. However, working for a commercial airline still remains the most sought-after and highest position in aviation.

To pick the most proficient institute out of the lot is an arduous task. There are a number of options to choose from such as, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi, Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Delhi Flying Club, New Delhi; Flytech Aviation Academy, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh; HAL Rotary Wing Academy, Bangalore, Karnataka etc.

For starters, the yardstick to rate these institutes can be quality & accreditation of courses, training & preparation tools and simulators, no. of flying hours, price, instructors and course outline.

Some of the significant courses taught are Lift, Wind Correction, Wake Turbulence, Clouds & Coriolis Effect, PiReps, Magnetic Compass, Traffic Patterns, Morse code, Density and Altitude & DME Arcs.

Let’s check out some intriguing facts about pilots and flight clubs:

Flight Schools in India – 42

Pilot licenses issued per year – 368

Pilots required each year – 1000

Time to obtain a license – 12-18 months

These figures clearly portray the state of flying in India. With demand exceeding the supply, the pace of license acquirement & no. of training institutes needs to be augmented.

Nobody likes to put their foot in something that doesn’t yield much. The pay packet is an enticing one along with, a steady growth line. This remuneration increases proportionately with the position earned. Once out of the flying phase, one can opt to become a flight instructor, whose salary per month is several lacs.

Another key, to survive and swing up, is a thorough sapience of the skills, command over the machines, adaptability to time & schedules, and an incisive bend towards safety.

The flourishing tourism sector and the privatization of its various facets, has led to the generation of a vast number of opportunities for the freshers in India. Not only can they apply in Government and Private Airlines, both national & international; but also, in alternates like Armed Forces, Security & Rescue Teams, Private Helicopters etc.

The hyperbolized magnitude of job opportunities for a trained pilot nowadays ensures a safe career ahead. So, it’s the right time for wings-up!